The crystalline device's urgent pulsing filled the tunnel with harsh blue light as Theo shouldered his pack. The pattern had shifted to rapid strobing that suggested emergency signaling. Whatever response protocols the device might be triggering, remaining in the area would prove fatal.
"Time to move," he muttered, directing mental commands to his undead servants. The three fresh corpses scattered across the tunnel floor represented potential upgrades, but his current force had proven effective. With time pressure mounting, dismissing experienced servants for untested alternatives felt unwise.
Dracul took point position as they began the return journey. The draconic skeleton's burning eye sockets surveyed potential threats while its massive sword remained ready. Behind them, the communication device's frantic strobing grew brighter.
The journey back to the warehouse took twelve minutes. Theo's mind calculated evacuation priorities and destinations while his undead maintained security. Common sense dictated that delaying relocations past the point of enemy awareness was a mistake that got people killed.
At the warehouse, he moved with systematic efficiency. Essential supplies went into his hiking pack—ammunition, emergency rations, water purification tablets, and the bones of Grimjaw and Shadowstep wrapped in cloth. The remaining tactical equipment and warehouse tools stayed behind, too bulky for mobile operations.
A glance at his smartphone showed 4:17 AM. He'd been operating for over twenty-four hours since the convergence began, running on adrenaline and necessity. His body was starting to feel the accumulated fatigue, but stopping to rest in a compromised location wasn't an option. Forest Park would have to provide both sanctuary and opportunity for actual sleep.
The patrol's equipment received quick assessment. The dragonborn's modified crossbow showed crystalline components integrated with conventional mechanics. The kobold's gear included a compass that pointed toward multiple locations simultaneously, each direction probably indicating magical sources or territorial markers. The goblin's mining tools were designed for crystal extraction, with collection containers marked using territorial symbols.
Twenty-eight minutes after leaving the tunnel system, Theo reached the warehouse's rear exit. The industrial district showed escalating chaos—distant combat sounds, rising smoke, and magical energies being discharged in sustained bursts. Portland's transformation was accelerating toward systematic warfare.
His route toward Forest Park took him through residential neighborhoods where convergence effects were most visible. Houses shared foundations with structures from different architectural traditions. A suburban home sat adjacent to a tower carved from living wood, its surface pulsing with organic rhythms that made streetlights flicker.
Crystalline formations had replaced street infrastructure, providing illumination through unknown energy sources. Displaced beings wandered these transformed neighborhoods with confusion and fear, refugees trying to understand a reality that no longer followed familiar rules.
A group of halflings had established a makeshift camp in a parking lot, their cooking fires sending smoke into air that shimmered with dimensional instability. Near them, creatures resembling house cats but with silver fur and eyes like tiny stars watched with intelligent assessment.
The encounter developing ahead captured his attention. Five humans approached the halfling encampment with hostile intent, their equipment and coordination marking them as another hunter team.
Theo positioned himself behind a parked SUV, using the vehicle for concealment while observing their approach. The hunters carried conventional weapons supplemented with magical items, including containment devices designed for capturing rather than killing.
"Contamination protocols are clear," the leader announced—a tall woman with short blonde hair. "Dimensional refugees represent unknown biological and magical threats. Standard procedure is assessment and quarantine until proper classification."
The halflings scattered toward cover while the star-eyed cats hissed and began growing larger, defensive magic activating. An injured centaur receiving medical treatment from a human woman positioned itself protectively between her and the approaching hunters.
Theo processed the developing situation quickly. The hunters weren't responding to any threat—they were implementing policies based on fear and incomplete information. The displaced beings were refugees, not invaders, and their defensive responses were reactions to hostility rather than aggression.
The moral calculation was straightforward. These weren't territorial competitors or combatants—they were scared people ripped from their reality and thrust into an unfamiliar world. Allowing their capture felt fundamentally wrong.
His decision crystallized when the lead hunter raised a staff topped with crystalline formations. Energy began building around the weapon's focus, creating patterns that suggested area-effect magic targeting multiple people. Whatever the weapon intended to accomplish, completing the spell would affect everyone in the immediate area.
He sent mental commands positioning his undead for coordinated intervention. Prism would use stealth to disrupt the hunters' formation, while Carapace and Dracul engaged their front line to prevent systematic targeting. His suppressed P320 would provide precision fire support.
Theo's opening shot deliberately targeted the staff-wielder's thigh, the subsonic round shattering her femur and sending her crashing to the ground. The building magical energy dispersed harmlessly as she lost concentration and control of the weapon. She was alive but severely hindered by the injury - exactly what he wanted for a source of intelligence.
"Contact left! Unknown shooter with suppressed weapon! Multiple hostiles closing from different directions!"
The remaining hunters attempted to coordinate their response, but with their leader down and screaming in pain from her shattered leg, their formation quickly deteriorated under the coordinated undead assault.
The engagement revealed how much his undead had developed since creation. Rather than simple reanimated corpses following basic commands, they moved with intelligence that adapted to battlefield conditions.
Prism materialized behind the hunters' rear guard, using spectral abilities to strike at vital points with lethal precision. The spectral stalker's capacity to phase through solid matter made conventional cover useless, creating chaos in their formation. Its translucent claws found gaps in armor and targeted critical areas with surgical accuracy.
Prism: 16/18 HP (-2)
The damage came from a hunter's shot with a weapon designed for incorporeal targets. The projectile passed through Prism's partially material form, causing disruption to its spectral matrix.
Carapace emerged from behind a parked car with predatory grace, its chitinous shell deflecting shots while closing for devastating attacks. The death beetle's natural armor absorbed small arms fire that would have stopped human opponents, allowing it to reach the hunters and deliver lethal strikes with its razor-sharp claws.
Carapace: 22/24 HP (-2)
Dracul advanced with relentless purpose, its massive sword cutting through armor and bone with devastating efficiency. The draconic skeleton's retained combat expertise was evident in every movement—attacks targeting vital points, positioning preventing coordinated responses, strikes designed to kill rather than disable.
The engagement concluded within ninety seconds. Four hunters lay dead from precisely executed undead attacks, while the team leader—her leg shattered by Theo's opening shot—remained alive but unable to escape. Theo's intervention had prevented whatever containment procedures they'd intended, and the surviving leader would provide valuable intelligence about their organization's structure and protocols.
EXPERIENCE GAINED:
Hunter Specialist (Level 4): 350 XP
Hunter Scout (Level 3): 225 XP
Hunter Operative (Level 3): 225 XP
Hunter Tracker (Level 2): 150 XP
Total: 950 XP
All participants receive full experience
Current Experience: 1,750/1,200
LEVEL UP!
Level 4 Reached
Experience Overflow: 550/1,800
Undead Experience Gained: +950 XP each
Current Undead Status:
Carapace (Death Beetle): Level 3, 2,275 total XP
Prism (Spectral Stalker): Level 2→3, 2,275 total XP (leveled up!)
Dracul (Draconic Skeleton): Level 5, 1,675 total XP
All undead Stage 1 Evolution available at Level 7
Current Experience: 550/1,800
LEVEL 4 STATUS UPDATE
Primary Stat Increase: Intelligence +2 (Automatic)
Secondary Stat Point: +1 (Chosen One Perk)
Free Attribute Points: +2
Theo allocated his secondary point to Constitution for better survivability. The free points went to Dexterity and Wisdom for improved reflexes and undead coordination.
Updated Character Status:
Name: Theodore Blackwood
Race: Human
Class: Wizard
Subclass: Necromancer
Level: 4
Experience: 550/1,800
Attributes:
Strength: 14
Dexterity: 18 (+1)
Constitution: 17 (+1)
Intelligence: 22 (+2)
Wisdom: 18 (+1)
Charisma: 12
Health Points: 27/27
Mana Points: 75/75
Mana Regeneration: 7.5 per hour
Permanent Undead Limit: 3
The displaced beings approached cautiously once the sound of combat faded. They moved carefully around the bodies of the dead hunters and the wounded leader Theo was securing, their expressions showing a mixture of relief and wariness. The violence itself didn't seem to disturb them - they came from a reality where combat was commonplace - but the presence of undead servants clearly made them uneasy. The halflings emerged from cover with obvious gratitude, while the centaur maintained protective positioning around the human woman.
Before addressing the refugees, Theo sent mental commands to his undead. Carapace and Prism took overwatch positions covering the main approaches to their location, while Dracul maintained close security around the wounded hunter leader. The perimeter would provide early warning if reinforcements arrived while he dealt with the immediate situation. The halflings emerged from cover with relief, while the centaur maintained protective positioning around the human woman. One of the star-eyed cats, now returned to normal size, approached first.**
"Strange-magic-death-bringer helped small-ones," it said in Common, its voice carrying harmonics that suggested multiple vocal cords. "Why-reason for aid-giving to unknown-strangers?"
Theo struggled to articulate motivations that had felt automatic rather than calculated. "They were threatening people who posed no threat," he said finally. "Seemed like poor target selection based on incomplete intelligence."
The cat's star-filled eyes studied him with intelligence. "Death-magic-user-who-protects-living. Contradiction-puzzle for understanding. Most death-magic-users seek power-growth through harm-causing."
"I'm not most necromancers," Theo replied. His approach to necromancy had been shaped by gaming optimization and strategic efficiency rather than fantasy stereotypes about evil death magic. "My undead serve specific purposes that don't require harming people who aren't threatening me."
The halfling leader approached with gratitude. A middle-aged man whose calloused hands suggested craftsman experience, he gestured toward his scattered companions. "Thank you for helping us. We've been trying to understand this world since the convergence began, but every time we find safety, someone decides we're dangerous." He gestured toward his companions. "We're bakers and craftsmen, not warriors. All we want is somewhere safe to figure out what happened to our home."
The human woman who had been treating the centaur's injuries stepped forward. "I'm Sarah Martinez. I was a registered nurse before all this started, though now I have something called a Life Cleric class." She studied Theo's undead servants with clinical curiosity rather than fear. "I've been trying to help anyone I can, but those hunter teams make it impossible. They see anyone non-human as a threat requiring containment."
Her explanation aligned with intelligence he'd gathered about hunter operations throughout Portland. Multiple teams with varying motivations, but unified in their assumption that displaced beings represented dangers requiring aggressive response.
Theo studied the assembled refugees while considering options. The halflings possessed skills valuable for establishing sustainable operations—food preparation, crafting, resource management. The cats showed magical abilities that might provide early warning systems or reconnaissance capabilities. Sarah's medical training could prove invaluable for treating human injuries, though her Life Cleric abilities would be incompatible with his undead servants.
He would need to interrogate the captured hunter leader for intelligence about their organization's structure and protocols. But first, the immediate priority was moving everyone away from the scene before reinforcements arrived.
These people represented intelligence sources about the broader refugee experience. Understanding how the convergence was affecting displaced beings could provide insights into the overall process and potential allies.
"Forest Park," he said after making his decision. "There's enough space for everyone, natural concealment from hunter patrols, and minimal convergence activity reported in heavily forested areas. If you're looking for somewhere safe to figure things out, it's probably your best option."
The halfling leader exchanged glances with his companions before responding. "Would you mind if we traveled together? At least until we reach this Forest Park? Those hunters might return with reinforcements once they report what happened here."
Theo considered the request carefully. Traveling with refugees would slow his movement and potentially compromise his positioning if they encountered serious threats. But it would also provide opportunity to gather intelligence about refugee experiences and test theories about cooperation between species. Additionally, having a healer available could prove valuable for human injuries, though her divine magic would be incompatible with his undead servants.
"Stay together, move quietly, and follow directions without questions," he said finally. "If we encounter serious threats, my undead will handle combat while you focus on survival. No heroics, no attempts to help in fights unless specifically requested. Agreed?"
Before the group could respond, Theo moved to secure the wounded hunter leader. The woman was conscious but severely hindered by the shattered femur, her face pale with pain and shock. He quickly searched the dead hunters, gathering tactical maps, radios, and identification that confirmed these were part of a larger organization.
"I need rope or something to restrain her with," Theo called to the refugees. The halfling leader produced a length of sturdy cord from his pack, and Theo efficiently bound the hunter's hands and feet. The injured leader would provide far more valuable intelligence once she could be properly interrogated away from this exposed position.
With the prisoner secured, he directed Dracul to carefully lift and carry her. The draconic skeleton's size and strength made it ideal for transporting the wounded captive while maintaining security.
The unanimous agreement from both human and non-human refugees came quickly, though their willingness to trust someone who had just killed four people and captured another carried undertones of both gratitude and wariness. They had witnessed his ruthlessness, but also his willingness to use violence in defense of innocent people while showing restraint when intelligence could be gained. Perhaps in this transformed world, such calculated pragmatism was becoming a necessity rather than a choice.
As the group prepared for movement toward Forest Park, Theo felt the changes from his advancement. Gaining a level in combat had expanded his capabilities—his mana reserves had grown, his physical durability had increased, and his necromantic abilities felt more refined. The captured hunter leader would provide crucial intelligence about enemy operations, while refugee skills could enhance whatever base-building operations he established.
The convergence continued its steady progression toward higher-level threats, but his expanded capabilities and growing network suggested he was developing resources necessary to meet escalating challenges. Whether cooperation between species would survive contact with more dangerous situations remained to be tested, but his demonstrated willingness to kill in defense of innocent people while showing restraint had established the foundation for genuine trust.
Standing in a residential intersection transformed by dimensional forces, surrounded by refugees from multiple realities and accompanied by undead servants who had proven their loyalty through combat, Theo realized he was no longer just a chosen one fighting for cosmic survival. He had become someone others looked to for protection and guidance. The wounded hunter leader, now restrained and carried by Dracul, represented valuable intelligence that could provide insights into the broader conflict.
The path toward Forest Park stretched ahead through neighborhoods where reality itself had become negotiable. But for the first time since the convergence began, he wasn't walking that path alone—and he was determined to protect those who walked it with him.